Safety device for watches.



N0- 8'37, 206. PATENTED NOV. 2'7, 1906. P. D. ELY.

'SAPETY DEVICE FOR WATCHES.

APPLIUATIQN FILED NOV. 2, 1905.

INVENTOR- ZTCJZZZ' 21y m: n'omns versus ca.,'-'wAsnmaraN, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR WATCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed November 2,1905. Serial No. 285,549.

To 1/.// w/m'mit may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK D. ELY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State ofUtah, have invented a new and Improved Safety Device for Watches, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to safety devices for timepiecesas watches, forinstance; and it consists, substantially, in the improvementshereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

Watches are frequently injured by falling from the pocket therefor,either in the vest or trousers of the owner, owing to the smoothness ofthe watchoase, the looseness of the watch in the pocket, or from bothcauses, and on account of the ease with which a watch may be withdrawnfrom a vest-pocket it is liable to be stolen from the person of thewearer by an expert thief.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide adevice that when mounted upon the rim of a watchcase will prevent theeasy abstraction of the watch from a pocket in which it may be placedand which will also prevent a watch having a device thereon from fallingout from a pocket and by striking on its edge or side bank the works ofthe watch, so that repairs are required for restoring the same to normaloperative order.

The invention has for its further object to provide a device of thecharacter referred to of an embodiment to overcome certain disadvantagesand objections encountered in the use of other devices hitherto employedfor a similar purpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kindwhich is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive tomanufacture, besides being effective and reliable for its purposes andpossessing the capacity for long and continued service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantiallysuch as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure1 is a face view of a watch having my improved device applied thereto.Fig. 2 is an edge View of a watch and a transverse sectional view of myimproved device applied to the watch. Fig. 3 is a view in per= spectiveof my improved device detached,

. somewhat in excess thereof.

and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device detached fromthe watch.

Reference being had to the drawings by the designating charactersthereon, 1 1 represent duplicate rings of rubber or other elasticmaterial, the interior diameters of which are so proportioned that thewidth of the watchcase to which said rings are to be applied is The saidrings may either be formed of equal portions of rubber tubing of properexterior diameter joined together at their ends, so as to produce twosimilar tubular rings, or said rings may be formed intact whenmanufactured. The rings are cemented, fused, or otherwise joinedtogether laterally, as indicated in Fig. 4, provided the same are formedof two sections of rubber tubing, or if otherwise pro duced the ringsmay be formed integral with each other where they join at the adjacentsides thereof.

An opening 2 is formed between the rings, the same being of sufficientlength to permit the insertion therethrough of the rings 3 and stem 4 ofan ordinary watch 5 when my improved device is properly applied to thewatch. After the stem 4 has been properly inserted through the saidopening 2 and the said rings 1 1 are at one side of the watch the ringsmay be readily placed upon the ring of the watchoase by expanding one orthe other of them, so it may pass over the said ring,

whereupon by releasing the ring so expanded the two rings will becomeself-sustaining, as it were, due to the construction of the material ofwhich they ar formed, the rings be ing thereby so disposed as toconstitutewhat may be termed saddles 6 on the sides of the periphery ofthe watchoase, as indicated in Fig. 2. Due to the elasticity of thetubular bodies of the said rings 1 1 a cushion is provided at the rim ofthe watch capable of absorbing the shock of impact taking place in theevent of the watch being dropped upon the ground or upon the flooraccidentally, and thus preventing injury thereto. In some instances itis desirable to construct the rings of such diameter as that when theyare mounted upon the watchoase continuous portions thereof will projectbeyond either side of the watchoase, as also shown in Fig. 2, andthereby protecting the case should the same strike sidewise on falling,and also so that when the watch is laid down flatwise the same isprevented from contact with the surface on which it is laid, thecontinuous projecting portions of the cushions or rings resting thereoninstead, as will be apparent. In the use of my improved device upon awatch it will be apparent that the portions of the rings which aredisposed at and beyond the side of the center of the rim of thewatchcase will upon insertion into the pocket of a vest frictionallyengage with the fibrous walls of the pocket, thus producing resistanceto the free removal of the watch from the pocket, so that the watch willnot fall out of the pocket, and in case a thief attempts to remove thewatch from the pocket the pull necessary to effect this will notify theowner of the attempt made to rob him. The rings also serve as aprotector for the watch to prevent dust or moisture from entering theworks of the watch should the back or face thereof be imperfectly fittedto the rim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. A device of the character specified, comprisingduplicate continuous tubular elastic rings, integrally joined togetherside by side, and adapted to be mounted upon the rim of a watchcase, thesaid rings when in position extending beyond the sides of the peripheryof the watchcase forming continuous pneumatic cushions.

2. A device of the character specified, comprising duplicate continuoustubular elastic members, integrally oined together side by side, andforming at their junction. oppositely arranged circum erential grooves,the said device being adapted to be mounted upon the rim of a watchcase,said members being provided with an opening therebetween, at a suitablepart thereof for the passage of the ring and stem of the watch.

3. A device of the character specified, comprising two tubular elasticrubber rings, having an equal diameter that is less than. that of therim of a watchcase to which the device is to be applied, said ringsbeing integrally joined together at adjacent sides thereof, and havingan opening therebetween for the insertion therethrough outwardly, of thestem and ring of the watch, in the application of the device over therim of the watclu-ase, the said rings when in position formingcontinuous pneumatic cushions on the sides of the periphery of thewatchcase and projecting beyond the surfaces of the front and back ofthe watch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK D. ELY.

l/Vitnesses PAUL C. GALLEITER, G. H. JAM'ERSON.

